Locked
by sekaiichis
Summary: When Onodera leaves the key to his apartment at work, he has to stay at Takano's for the night, or a few if Takano has anything to say about it.
1. Onodera - Prologue

**New fic again without touching the others yet again! What's new? uvu Anyways, this idea was something I discussed with hayunaki on here ages ago and stumbled upon the notes to a short while ago. I decided I still liked the idea enough to write about it! So I hope you enjoy!**

 **(Rewritten Version posted on October 11, 2017)**

* * *

It wasn't everyday that Onodera Ritsu was able to get out of the office before night fell.

Summer had begun and days were longer than they had been during most of the time he'd spent making the commute from his apartment to Marukawa's offices. It was strange to think that just about a year ago he had started this job considering just how eventful things had been.

Onodera had been dragged into the world of girls' manga by the ever passionate Maiden Club, his engagement to An had officially been broken off, Nao had come back into his life after many years of hearing nothing from him, and Takano―previously Saga― of all people was now his boss, neighbor, and kind-of-lover.

He was always giving it his all, whether it be in the workplace or to keep to his own personal promises to himself to the point where sleeping and eating to become a nuisance at times; however, giving it your all couldn't save you from particular problems that sprung up every now and then.

Onodera's current predicament was a testament to this through and through.

On one of the few days that he got out of work at a reasonable time―having to stop himself from making a fool out of himself with just how good his mood was as he approached the apartments―he found himself before his door without a key.

It had to be a dream, right?

Nightmare would be more fitting, he told himself as he pinched himself a few times to be sure that this was reality.

After emptying out the contents of his bag and feeling up and reaching into every pocket on his person, the key was still nowhere to be found.

Really though, the one time in weeks that he had managed to make it out of the office this early and life had to remind him that things didn't like to go his way. This was such a disaster! How would he get into a nice change of clothes from one of those yet to be folded piles? How would he get that extra sleep he had worked so hard for? And just how would he get to eat the instant ramen that he had in the convenience store bag he had picked up on the way here?

Anything that could go wrong felt like it was doing so, and panic began to set in as all sorts of horrible scenarios drowned out any rational thought.

Just why did these things always happen to him?

As he gathered up all his things in his bag, thinking about just what he possibly could've done in this or any previous incarnation of life to deserve what was happening right now, his phone dinged to indicate a text being delivered.

Onodera pulled out the device to read over whatever new messages he was receiving. Nao's name along with a smile emoji he had added popped up as he unlocked the phone. Nao had been out of town for the day because he was collecting pictures for work and would be gone for at least two more as far as the brunet was informed.

 **[From: Nao (*^o^*)]**

 **[The weather here in Osaka is very humid, but thankfully the sun was out all day. I was able to get lots good pictures and not have a day wasted to rain! I took a lot of pictures, so tomorrow I'm going to go more into tourist mode lol. I've never properly visited Osaka Castle before, so hopefully it will be fun!**

 **After tomorrow, I'm taking a train to Kyoto and staying at a hotel there for two days. One of these days you should come with me on one of these trips! It wouldn't hurt to get some more recent pictures of you for the collection. They're always artistic in their own way. (*＾v＾*)**

 **See you soon, Ritsu! ^^]**

Scrolling down to the photos, he felt a smile creep onto his face on despite how sour his mood had been only moments ago. Nao never failed to impress him when it came to how skilled he was with a camera.

His phone vibrated again as another picture came in. This time, it was a selfie with the words 'wish you were here' over it taken in front of some sort of store.

And in that moment, Onodera wished that Nao had been there. He would surely take him in for the night. There would be some teasing, but he could live with the bit of embarrassment if it meant not having to go back to work and running into a certain someone after making such a big deal out of getting out early.

Then there was An, who was sure to be willing to assist him yet still shaky territory in that they had only officially broken things off two months ago. And if his mother of all people were to find out about him staying the night with her… he didn't want to think about it.

As much as he didn't want to, he would need to turn to Takano for help this time around. It would be more convenient that way, since he would need to call the landlord in the morning and hopefully be able to get things sorted before the day's end.

Or maybe, luck would be on his side and he just left his key at work and Takano could bring it here for him and save him the trouble of the trip back.

Onodera clicked on Takano's contact and selected call. The few seconds he waited for a greeting were agonizing, letting his mind stray wildly to thoughts such as what if he was already out of the office, on the train, unable to-

"Hello?"

"H-hey, if it isn't too much trouble I was wondering if you could look into something for me."


	2. Takano - Chapter 1

**Let the plot begin. ;v**

 **(Rewritten Version posted on October 11, 2017)**

* * *

Had his phone not let out the loudest ringtone possible, one he had specifically set to Onodera's number, Takano would have been making his way out of the building.

"H-hey," The familiar voice greeted, sounding somewhat strained. "if it isn't too much trouble, I was wondering if you could look into something for me?"

If his tone was any indication of it, Onodera would probably rather be talking to anyone else just about now. Coming to him of all people was most likely a last resort.

"Just what do you want me to check? And just how many people did you call that you're coming to _me_ of all people?"

"Huh?! Look, I'm not in the mood for this, Takano-san." There was an audible sigh. "For one thing, you're the first person I've called. I didn't just call to chat."

"I'm honored." He leaned against the nearest wall. "So just what is it that you wanted me to check?"

"Wait, for one thing, are you still at work?"

"Yeah, did you leave something at the office or something?"

"Yeah. Well, I _think_ that I did." He groaned at his own words. "It's my key."

"You _absolute idiot_."

" _Excuse_ _me_?!" Onodera nearly spat into his phone.

"Of all the things for you to lose, it had to be that?" Takano was already in the elevator at this point, ready to flip the entire department over if it meant finding that key. "What if someone takes it and breaks into your place, or worse?"

"Not everyone is like you and decides to barge into my apartment uninvited, you know."

"Do you want me to look for it or not?"

"..."

"That's what I thought. You owe me for this." Takano hung up, not letting Onodera get in another word.

When he got back to the editing floor, there were few people left. There were no pressing deadlines, so most people had left for the day already. The members of his own division were of this group, leaving him the only editor left at the set of desks.

Onodera's desk was quite orderly because of how early they were in the editing cycle, and Takano's eyes roamed over the surface carefully. There were stacks of papers neatly grouped to the side, a calendar with marks through the better half of July, and the laptop labeled with a sticker that said "Onodera Ritsu" in neat handwriting among other things. It was clear that the key wasn't there.

Luckily, he wasn't one to give up so easily.

After squatting down to the floor, he felt around under the desk briefly and found what he was looking for right away.

As he stood up, he pulled out his phone, ready to send a quick text to Onodera telling him that he had found the key. As he began typing his message, he bumped into one of his female co-workers he had been too distracted to notice.

With the flash of a convincing smile and a quick apology, he got off easy and was able to get back to the task at hand.

When he reached the elevator, that woman just happened to get in along with who appeared to be a friend of hers.

"Hey! We haven't talked in awhile, how have things been?" Girl A, as Takano was addressing her in his head, asked.

"I've been doing well! I recently moved in with my boyfriend!" With this, Girl B had caught Takano's attention.

"Wow!" Girl A seemed more shocked than she should have been. Weren't couples more okay with that nowadays? "You went from hating the guy to moving in with him, huh?"

Although he had been tapping out what should have been a simple text to Onodera, Takano's fingers stilled as the doors opened on the first floor.

"Yeah, funny how things work out, huh?" Girl B blushed a bit. "I didn't think it was possible, but we've been learning a lot more about each other since I moved in with him."

"I can't even land a date and here you are moving in with your boyfriend and probably getting all lovey dovey…" Girl A's voice faded out of earshot as they made their way out of the building.

Takano's attention fell back to his phone and he tapped at the screen slowly, almost uncertain.

 **[To: Onodera Ritsu**

 **I didn't see it anywhere.]**

* * *

Takano didn't see himself as a liar. Sure, he withheld information at times, but who didn't? If it was for the better, then why did it matter? If it would allow him to save some face as well as help avoid hurting the feelings of the people in his life he actually gave a damn about, it shouldn't matter.

Yes, this might be a bit of a strange way to go about things, but surely they would be able to get a bit more of a romantic relationship this way.

When he reached the lobby of the apartment complex, he took note of the paper taped on the wall next to the elevator and his heart jumped.

He had all but forgotten about the landlord's absence that would be lasting three weeks. At the time the notice went out, he hadn't seen it as too big of an issue and pocketed the info somewhere in the back of his head.

One of those weeks had passed already, but that still left two weeks where Onodera would be unable to get into contact with the only person able to help him out of his current predicament.

As the elevator climbed to the twelfth floor, Takano decided he would go through with this. It was painfully obvious Onodera wanted this pointless struggle to be over as well if his behavior in recent weeks had been any indication.

Every now and then he'd catch those deep emerald eyes staring at him when Onodera thought it would somehow go unnoticed. His eyelids would always flutter down a bit and his face would have a faint tint of red until he tore his gaze away.

Other times, he had caught the brunet standing at his door for inexplicably long amounts of time. When he peeked through the peephole, he could always see that same expression he'd catch him making while staring.

Then there was the whole "sex friend" thing they had going on, but he knew if it weren't for his constant pushing, they'd probably never even share a bed.

When the elevator doors opened, Onodera walked up to him with a deep frown.

"If you keep making that face, it'll probably get stuck like that."

"Not now, Takano-san…" He pinched the skin between his eyes.

"Anyways, you're staying with me for awhile." Takano watched Onodera's face for a reaction as he unlocked the door. "The landlord is out of the country for a few weeks, remember?"

"Ah!" The realization hit him like a ton of bricks judging by the way his mouth fell open. "Of all the times…"

"Isn't it great? You get to spend time with me _all day._ "

"No," He kept a straight face despite his amusement at how fired up the brunet was getting. "I can't believe you're calling this great! Most of my belongings are in my apartment!"

"Yeah, piles of dirty clothes, empty food packets, instant ramen containers, and a sink of unwashed dishes. I don't think you'll be missing out on much." Takano walked into the apartment. "Come in."

"Ugh…" Onodera followed him inside and he locked the door. "I should've called someone else."

"And what would that have accomplished? I was the only one in the department left at the office anyways."

"I could've stayed with someone else and then gone to work in the morning to look for the key on my own."

"Only to find that there was no key to be found. Just have some faith in me, would you?"

"Maybe you just didn't look hard enough."

"...No, I think I did a pretty thorough check. Come in, I'll make some dinner."

* * *

After washing the dishes, Takano suggested that Onodera take a shower. It took quite a bit of convincing that no funny business would happen if he were to do so, but eventually he conceded.

Takano left some of his tighter clothes for him to change into when he got out of the bathroom with a towel before returning to his bedroom.

Finally alone, he was able to assess the situation properly.

The man he loved was currently taking a shower in his bathroom because of a tiny white lie he told for his own, no, both of their benefit. They would probably be sharing a bed tonight as well as the other nights during the duration of his stay. They'd be eating together, going to work together, and showering together sometimes if he could help it. They'd be seeing each other nearly _all day_ every day for the next two weeks.

Yeah, he was happy to say the least.

At the same time, if Onodera ever found out about this, he didn't want to imagine the consequences. He liked to think that there was some level of trust that had built up between the two of them over the past months, and meddling with such things could make or break their relationship going forward. It just meant he'd have to make sure that Onodera would _never_ find out about this.

This was for the better, and he had to remind himself of that again and again. If they could truly start dating again and properly get to know each other, this would all be worth it. And if he couldn't do it in the two weeks he'd been blessed with, it'd at least be a step in the right direction.

Takano thought he would be thinking of his lie nonstop, how risky all this was, but earlier had gone to show just how much this was necessary. He had forgotten the guilt he was feeling after seeing the look on Onodera's face when he began to eat the dinner made for him. It was always something he'd found adorable, how the simplest of things could make him so excited at times.

This was for the better. He didn't feel like he'd be regretting this any time soon.

He deposited the key into his bedside drawer.

* * *

When Onodera exited the ensuite in clothes obviously too big for him, Takano felt his restraint begin to crumble.

"Thanks for the clothes."

"They're going to get all wet if you don't dry off your hair properly." Takano took the towel that was resting on his shoulders and began to rub at the brown mop of hair.

"I can do that myself, you know…" Despite Onodera swatting at his hands, he persisted. "Takano-san, please…"

"Please what?"

"Quit it." He grabbed the towel and started towards the living room.

"And just what are you doing?"

"Going to bed. I'll sleep on the couch." At this, he was pinned down to the bed. "Wha-"

"Sleep in here." It came out as more of a demand than a request.

"I'd be fine sleeping on the couch, so would you just let go of me?" The sheets shuffled as the couple squirmed.

"You're staying at my place, so I make the rules." Takano glared at him, hands holding Onodera's wrists down. "We share the bed."

"But-"

"I won't do anything this time, I swear."

"Yeah, and that's gone so well be-" He was silenced when Takano forced his tongue into his mouth briefly, catching him off guard.

"That's all I'll do for tonight, okay?" He let go of Onodera's wrists and moved to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Um, Takano-san?" The brunet, hair sticking in every which direction, was standing in the doorway. "Do you have a spare toothbrush by any chance?"

"Wan' shar'?" He asked through his teeth.

"That's disgusting." The scowl on his face only got worse as Takano spat into the sink.

"We have each other's tongues in our mouths all the time anyways, Onodera."

"..."

"To answer your question though, yes, I do have a few extra toothbrushes. I'll get one for you when I'm done." He turned back to the mirror and continued to brush away.

"Thanks…"

* * *

"You can go to sleep, you know," Even though Takano was staring at the ceiling, he could tell the brunet was awake. "I said I wouldn't do anything."

"How am I supposed to trust your words after you've gone back on that same promise at least three separate times?"

"Four." At this, he got a dry laugh. "I'm really serious this time, so just get some rest. Good work today."

After that, things got quiet again, and a few minutes later he could tell Onodera had fallen asleep by his breathing.

"Goodnight, Ritsu."

* * *

 **Don't screw this up too bad, okay Takano? u-u**


	3. Takano - Chapter 2

Onodera wasn't really one to make noise in his sleep; Takano had observed this many times before.

His breathing was slow and quiet. Not once had he heard him snore or caught him calling out anything once he was fully asleep. He found it strange how someone who could be so loud when awake could ever look so peaceful.

Currently, their bodies were facing each other; Onodera was sleeping and Takano had been staring at him far longer than the brunet would have liked had he been awake.

One glance at the clock on the side of his bed told him it was past when he should have been sleeping during the calm of the cycle. How long had it been since they'd settled in bed? An hour? More? He couldn't help it.

Onodera hadn't slept in the same bed with him without having sex with him since, well, ever. Takano almost laughed at himself, laying there thinking about how sleeping together like this was a milestone.

Surely if he told Onodera about this when he woke up he would just yell at him and hit him with the pillow and try to leave the apartment. Thankfully, he knew he wouldn't be doing that this time around.

The key was a sort of safety net that allowed him more room for error, even if it was probably one of the biggest mistakes he'd made in his efforts to get a confession out of the one he loved so much. The fact that he even allowed himself to ask his boss of all people for help in the first place was an indication- to Takano, anyways- that he was willing to put up with more of him than he let off.

Even if it were taking advantage of a simple mistake- even if it would possibly hurt his love if he ever found out - the reward outweighed the risk in the his eyes. "If" was just that, a possibility among many others.

'I'll just have to make sure that he never finds out, that's all there is to it.' Takano thought to himself as he brushed the hair out of the brunet's face so he could fully appreciate Onodera's peaceful expression.

"I know I'm being greedy right now," He whispered, knowing he couldn't be heard, nonetheless wanting to voice his feelings. "I know that all too well. I'm taking advantage of one of the kindest people I've ever met in my miserable life. I'm taking away one of your few respites from dealing with me, someone you seem to hate more than anyone else sometimes.

"And I know that all that isn't completely true, but you have these defense mechanisms that just won't seem to let up. When I'm actually able to get past them, you just look so devastated and it pains me. I want to hold you and kiss the tears away- to take all your pain and burdens away- and let you know that we can share it."

He found himself getting emotional as he ran a hand through Onodera's hair.

"It's funny," He began, voice wavering slightly. "I can never get these things out when you're awake, so why now of all times, I wonder?"

Quietly, Takano shifted himself so that he'd be able to hold Onodera in his arms.

"I love you."

* * *

 **I had this planned out to be even shorter than it already is, but then I started getting all emotional writing Takano being all mushy so I couldn't help myself lol. Hope you guys felt the same way reading that as I did writing it. :'3c**


	4. Onodera - Chapter 3

**I got an anonymous ask on Tumblr asking if I'd ever continue this and I ended up writing up way more than I thought I would! Considering I have snippets from future chapters written up already, hopefully it won't be anything like a three month wait this time. Enjoy!**

* * *

" _Why_ do you even have this?" Onodera asked as he held what was definitely one of his own shirts in front of him.

"You left it over here awhile ago." Takano replied, unaffected as he began to strip himself of the clothes he had slept in. "I washed it for you, so it should be fine to wear it."

"If I left something here, then you should've just told me." He faced away, not wanting to get caught up staring. "I would've come and taken back to my place."

Takano laughed as he pulled on a fresh pair of pants. "What, and just throw it in one of your piles? It was better off being thrown in with my clothes when I washed them."

"Still…!" He trailed off, not quite knowing where he had been going with that thought.

"Just get changed, would you?" Takano pulled a quarter sleeve shirt over his head. "Or do you want to wear one of my shirts like you did the other day?"

"I'm much more comfortable in my own clothes, thank you very much." Onodera moved to take off his shirt, stopping when he caught eyes on him, causing him to blush profusely. "Could you maybe, I don't know, not watch me? It's uncomfortable."

"We've had sex more than a few times, showered together, and even entered an onsen at the same time. I've seen just about everything there is to see of you. I don't see how something like this could make you uncomfortable."

"You…!" He took his borrowed shirt off, quickly replacing it. Before he went to strip himself further, he paused at an embarrassing realization. "You… wouldn't happen to have any of my underwear here, would you?"

"Aw man, you noticed?" Takano had a slight smile as a shirt was thrown at him angrily. "Yeah, hold on."

"Thank you…"

* * *

"You know, now that I think about it," Takano started as they approached Marukawa Publishing. "I don't think you ever got my clothes back to me."

"Huh?" Onodera looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The one time I threw your clothes in the wash before you woke up and you had to go home in my clothes." Takano explained, sounding a bit too amused for the brunet's liking. "Though I suppose it's better this way, I wouldn't want the neighbors seeing you with your dick hanging out like that."

"Wha- Takano-san!" His hands formed tight fists at his sides. "Could you have a little modesty?"

"Don't worry," Takano gave him a few pats on the back. "I'm only like this with you. You're special."

"Treat me as you would anyone else, please." He grumbled as he swatted Takano's hand away.

"How else am I supposed to show you how much I love you?"

"Just…" Upon catching the look on his boss' face, he took a moment to recompose himself. "I don't need special treatment, so just don't-"

"Don't worry, I _never_ mix work with my personal life."

Onodera scoffed at this. "Says the guy who can't let up with the abuse of power outside of the workplace."

"And when have I ever done that?"

"The trip to Kyoto."

"Oh come on, you said yourself you were happy about it. And it's not like you're the one who paid for the train tickets or the hotel room."

"..."

"And the sex was so good you couldn't get out of bed until past noon the next day."

Onodera all but shrieked. "You know we're in public right?! Right around the corner from our workplace?"

"And the world keeps going round." Takano shrugged off the brunet's alarm. "You need to relax."

"You know, you're really irritating when you talk like that." He grumbled as they entered Marukawa. "How am I supposed to relax when you're always saying things like that?"

"I think you can afford to relax some since I'm your boss _and_ I'm in charge of your meals now. And I'll be sure you get some sleep instead of staying up all night doing useless studying."

Onodera was left unable to address the jab, two women moving to greet them as they entered Marukawa's offices.

"Good morning!" They were both smiling and Takano's face seemed to fall into one of recognition.

"Good morning, I hope you two have a wonderful day." He flashed them a dazzling smile over his shoulder and walked off to the elevator, leaving both the girls and his so called lover gaping. He nearly abandoned Onodera on the first floor when it took him a bit too long to recover from his shock and run over to the elevator to join him.

"What's with you? Why are you trying to act all gentlemanly so early in the morning?" While such behavior had made him jealous on occasion, over the past few months he had grown more accustomed to the act Takano put up at times. But this was different, as he rarely was able to put up such an act this early in the morning for someone he didn't need to schmooze for whatever reason.

"Those two were so pleasant to me last night, so I felt the need to return the favor." Takano's gaze fell onto suspicious green eyes. "What is it, are you jealous or something? Cause I'll send smiles your way all you want if you ask."

"It's all fake though, so what worth would there be in that? It makes me wish I could expose what a tyrant you are to all of them."

"Tyrant, huh? Well I do love to dominate you."

"Why does everything always come back to sex with you?!"

"I never said that was what I was talking about, you know. I dominate you in sales figures, that's all."

Nice, a jab at both his pride and something to make him feel embarrassed. Just great.

The elevator doors opened on the editorial floor and Onodera sped out and over to their department. Takano watched as he nearly flipped over his work space looking for his key.

After five minutes of no success and a few more people made their way onto the floor, the brunet slumped in his chair.

"I really thought it would be here if I misplaced it, too." A scowl set itself on his face. "This sucks."

"At least you have a place to stay, right?" Takano put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get in touch with the landlord as soon as possible."

Onodera raised a brow at the attempt at consoling him but said nothing of it. The hand was retracted as quickly as it was put down when Hatori walked in.

* * *

Throughout the day, Onodera found himself dealing with what he could only describe as a gentle Takano. There was no other way to put it despite how odd it felt to even think such a string of words.

He was at a loss at to just what triggered the change. Perhaps he was just reading the situation wrong and Takano was simply in a good mood. And if that were the case, that made one of them.

It was already bad enough when they rode the train home in strained silence on a normal day, but knowing what awaited the pair when they would get home made things even worse. It was that lovey dovey tooth rottingly sweet life that Takano had only joked about awhile back. The same life that a high school Onodera would have a heart attack over from how worked up he'd get over something as simple as holding hands.

Well, scratch that, maybe not a lovey dovey tooth rottingly sweet life together; however, Onodera could tell that was what Takano was striving for.

Unbeknownst to him, Takano had made him a boxed lunch that very morning some time before he woke up. He made a big deal of making sure they took their lunch breaks at the same time so they could eat together.

Then came the regular trip to the vending machine after the regular time he allotted for a bathroom break a little over an hour later. Takano was right on his heels in and out of the men's room, and when Onodera went to get his regular can of coffee, there was no attempt to snag it under the excuse that it was payment for something. He bought his own can without any attacks on Onodera's pride or wallet.

Takano wasn't acting like Takano; it was plain to see.

Surely nothing could have happened since this morning that he suddenly decided to cut back on cynicism and lose his sharp tongued way of speech?

After they entered the elevator at the apartment complex, that same suffocating silence closing in on them, both seemed to decide enough was enough.

"Onodera, I-"

"Takano-san-"

"Oh, you go first."

"No, it's just… is something wrong?" Upon seeing Takano arch his brows, he further elaborated. "You've been uncharacteristically...nice."

"Would you rather me be the tyrant you were talking about exposing this morning?"

"I mean… I just-"

"You're weird." Takano ruffled the brunet's mop of hair, effectively silencing him. "You complain about how I act all the time, but whenever I'm a little nicer or leave you be, you end up coming to me anyways. A little counterproductive, wouldn't you say?"

"Well it's not exactly like I can help it right now, you know." He fiddled with his bag strap. "Really though, is something wrong?"

"And just why are you worried, Mr. I Just Want to be Your Employee and Nothing Else?"

"Y-you!" Onodera stomped out of the elevator as soon as the doors allowed him. "If you're not on everyone the way you normally are, it could affect how productive we are, right? We can't have the magazine suffering over the editor-in-chief deciding he wants to slack off!"

"Who said I was slacking off?" Takano took out his key and unlocked the door to his apartment. "I got just as much work done today as I always do."

"With how much you were following me around today it sure didn't feel that way." They each footed off their shoes and made their way inside. "It was kind of creepy."

"If this is the treatment I get for trying to make you feel better, I guess I'll just go back to being how I normally am." He dropped his bag on the floor and made his way to the couch. "And here I thought I was doing you a favor."

"Let me put it in a way you'll understand how I feel..." Onodera sat down next to him, leaning forward. "You being nice is like an author turning in their manuscript before the deadline. It just isn't something you see too often, and it's not something that will change any time in the future."

The silence that followed was even worse than it had been on the elevator, and Onodera was left to think over just what he said. Perhaps he should apologize. Maybe rephrasing his words to come off a bit less harsh would be a good idea.

"Is it really so horrible to be around me?"

The question was reminiscent of something that Takano had asked him barely a month ago, and yet an answer was still just as hard to come up with. While he had a fairly good grasp on his feelings, he didn't quite know on how to describe or express them when he really needed to.

Onodera turned so that they could properly look at each other, finding an expression he hadn't seen since their last… encounter. Yearning.

"No. It's not." His gaze fell to his lap, where his hands were balled up in nervous fists. "I apologize if my words came out too harsh."

"No need to be so formal." Takano stood up from his seat and swept a hand through Onodera's hair as he walked past him. "We're getting all worked up for no reason. Let's just forget about it and get some food in our stomachs."

* * *

"Don't you plan on brushing your teeth?" Takano called from the bathroom, going through his own nightly routine.

"Of course I do." Onodera padded into the room in another set of borrowed clothes, just having finished drying his hair from his shower. "There's not really enough space in here to do it at the same time if that's what you're going for."

"Let's just be a bit more environmentally friendly and get it done at the same time." He handed the brunet the toothbrush he had given him the night before, "The toothpaste is on the counter."

"I think as people who work towards mass producing books for a living we aren't exactly the most environmentally friendly people." Against his better judgement, he wet the brush and applied the paste. "Not to mention all the paper copies."

"Ah, true," Takano went through the same process with his own brush. "I do recall pulling that hundred copy prank on you after all."

"Do' remi' me!" The brunet was nearly frothing with toothpaste, spit threatening to spill out of his mouth.

Avoiding any major stains from projectile toothpaste-spit combinations, they made their way to bed without any issue.

By the time that Takano had stilled and his breathing steadied, Onodera realized that he never really figured out what was wrong in the first place that made him act so drastically different than normal today.

He'd have to ask him in the morning.


	5. Takano - Chapter 4

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad."

"I've already worn your clothes enough over the past few days!"

"Well I don't see you jumping to go out and buy new clothes, so unless you want to wear dirty clothes, this is pretty much your only choice."

Having wanted to clothe himself after sleeping in the same set of clothes for the past few days with one of the only outfits that was his own in the apartment, Onodera was caught by Takano before he could get out of the shared bed.

Takano claimed that he would be doing laundry today, and attempted to coax the brunet into wearing something out of his wardrobe again. Suffice to say, it wasn't going very well.

It took lots of convincing to get Onodera to put on one of his shirts and an old pair of shorts that went no further than his knees. However, as luck would have it, rain started coming down after they ate their breakfast and started said laundry.

"I guess we won't be able to dry the clothes outside. We're probably going to have to hang them in the bathroom for a few hours." Takano sat next to Onodera on his couch with two mugs of coffee in hand.

"You should've checked the weather report before starting anything." Onodera grumbled as he accepted the mug. He downed nearly half the drink in one go. "The clothes are going to be all wrinkly."

"Then can I count on you to iron out all the wrinkles? Or do you always wear all those sweaters and cardigans to hide how wrinkled your own clothes are?" He took a sip out of his own mug. "I doubt you even know how to use an iron. Do you even have one?" Onodera only averted his eyes and took another sip from his coffee. "I thought so. I'll have to show you then."

"I'm sure I could figure it out myself!" He placed his cup down on the table and turned on the television. "And it's not like I can help that I was raised in a house where outside of academics they didn't have me do much for myself."

"You've been living on your own for at least two years now though, right?" Takano crossed his arms over his chest. "You should at least know something as basic as that. Then again, you don't even know how to cook for yourself, so I'm not all that surprised."

A sudden cry on the television brought their attention forward.

" **Release!" A blue eyed brunette pulled out a key hooked onto a necklace and it expanded into a staff.**

"Sadhouse always comes through when it comes to animation. Sensei was so glad when she got approved for another anime." Takano watched the familiar scene come to life with color and movement. "I was never into this when it was airing when we were kids, but I think I get the charm these days."

"Ah, I did find her work charming when I was going through our catalogue months ago, but now it just seems like more of the same. Ume goes about her life, a card appears, she doesn't know how to capture it, then she does. In the end, the characters have followings and the series brings back a lot of old viewers, so it's not too big of an issue for sales or ratings."

"...Quite the analysis from a noob like yourself."

"I _have_ been around for a year now." Onodera crossed his arms over his chest, feeling somewhat triumphant. "Besides, you don't need to be in this business to catch onto something being repetitive."

"It's a proven formula."

"That's not what you seem to be thinking when you're screaming into the phone about how you're gonna break down her door if she doesn't make it more exciting and get everything turned in on time."

"What can I say? Sometimes you have to light a fire under someone's ass to get a finished product in. It doesn't matter if she's some girls' manga legend or not."

"If you say so," Onodera sank back into his seat, settling in for the remainder of the episode. "You know, this isn't what I imagined for myself when I quit my old job… sitting in an apartment with another adult man on a Sunday morning watching an anime meant for school girls."

"Well if life were predictable, what fun would that be?" Takano placed his own mug on the table beside Onodera's. "I'm sure you didn't expect to meet me again. And I'm even more sure you didn't expect to be rooming with me for at least two weeks. Might as well just move in and get it over with before it comes up and surprises you, too. A love confession would be nice too, but that might be a bit too much to ask for."

"I wouldn't count on it." Onodera grit his teeth. "Right when the landlord's plane lands on Japanese soil, I'm getting this sorted out. I'd hate to be a burden to my _oh-so hospitable_ boss."

"You're not a burden," He placed a hand on Onodera's thigh. "I like when you're here. I get lonely."

"T-then get a cat or something." He swatted the hand away. "You've gotten by fine without having me around."

"Hm." He stretched his arm up and around Onodera's shoulder instead. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Nevermind then!" He got up and chugged down the rest of the coffee before stomping off to the kitchen sink.

"Wash the cup!" Takano called from the comfort of the couch. "I don't want stuff drying onto the glass. You can get away with that in your apartment, but not mine!"

"Aren't I around to keep you from feeling lonely?" He let the faucet run and got some dish soap from the counter anyways. "I didn't ask for the coffee anyways."

"Put an apron on while you're at it! I don't want you getting my clothes wet!" Takano's choice of words weren't the best, he thought to himself as Onodera whipped his head around while the mug was still filling with water.

"It's just one m-" In turning so drastically, his hand jerked upward and the handle of the cup escaped his grasp. It flew into the air and water managed to spill on his head all the way down to the hem of the shirt he had borrowed. He just barely caught the slick glass before it hit the floor.

"You... good over there?" He somehow managed to hold himself together despite the intense urge to break out into laughter.

"I'm fine!" He placed the mug under the faucet and allowed it to fill again, rinsing it out a few times. When he went to grab a dish cloth, Takano took the mug from him to dry it himself.

"I'd prefer if you didn't break my things while you're here." He swiped the cloth along the smooth ceramic cup and placed it on the counter to dry. "Though I also have to say it's pretty hilarious to watch you stumble around like that."

"You know, I…" Onodera nearly went off on a tangent about how he didn't need to stand here and take this and how he was about to go back to his own apartment, but that just wasn't the case. "I… I'm sorry."

"Woah, you sure fizzled out fast." Takano swiped a hand over Onodera's wet mop of hair and ruffled it. "Maybe it's cause you spilled water up here."

"..." He only blushed, not having a rebuttal for that.

"Anyways," Large hands were suddenly under and up Onodera's shirt, tugging it up to his chest. "I'll lend you another shirt, so let's get this off."

"Fine." He held his arms up and Takano slipped it off of him, not missing the opportunity to brush his thumbs against his nipples. Onodera held back the urge to yell at him. "...Sorry for spilling water on your shirt."

"It's fine, don't worry." He patted him on the back and moved them towards his bedroom. "I'm going to have to ask for some compensation though."

"Eh?"

Takano only tapped his cheek with his index finger.

"...?" Onodera just stared at him blankly, not quite taking the hint.

"Kiss me."

A blush broke out across his face. "...I rather run around shirtless all day."

Takano clicked his tongue. "What a tease. Seriously though, I don't want you to be cold all day. Come on. Just a kiss on my cheek. Like how'd you get really close to my face during high school when you thought I was asleep. Just a little closer." He tapped his cheek again.

"I…! I never…"' He mulled over it for a bit and _yeah_ , maybe he did, but that didn't matter right now! "Ugh…"

"I'll stand here and guard my closet all day." Takano leaned against the door, arms crossed over his chest.

"I'll be fine." Onodera mirrored him, looking a bit less convincing with the way he shivered at a drop of water that slid down his back.

"I guess you'll be fine with me ogling you all day then."

"Y-you do that every day."

Takano sighed. "Is it so hard to give me a peck on the cheek? I don't think it should be too embarrassing considering you've put your mouth on my-"

"Fine! I'll do it! Just…" He placed his head in his hands, heat radiating from his face. "I need a bit to prepare myself."

"..." Takano stared at Onodera, somewhat surprised, but more content than anything else.

After a few minutes of standing around in the dimly lit room, Onodera finally worked himself up to the point where he could look at his temporary roommate. Taking a few steps forward, he turned his head upward and stood slightly on his tiptoes. His breath tickled the hairs on Takano's face.

Before he could manage to make contact, Onodera was shoved onto the bed. He opened his mouth to protest this, cause that had taken quite a bit of mental preparation, but a tongue entered his mouth and he couldn't speak.

Pulling back, Takano took in the blushing mess that he had created.

"Sorry." He leaned forward again, lips inching closer and closer to Onodera's ear. "You were being too cute."

"I was going to do it if you didn't do that!" Onodera flinched when he felt a tongue at the area where his neck met the underside of his chin and hands wandering along his chest. "T-Takano-san."

"I don't think you'll need a shirt anymore." Takano tugged at the shorts he had lent him earlier. "Or pants, for that matter."

From the hallway, the washer began to sound off to inform them it was done.

Seeing an opportunity to escape, Onodera began squirming out from under Takano. "Takano-san, let's get the laundry before-"

The jingle was swiftly followed by a sharp crackle of thunder from outside.

Takano began pulling down the shorts, ignoring him. "We're gonna have to iron everything either way, so what's the difference?"

* * *

"Onodera, I let you nap long enough. Get up." Takano yanked the light summer covers off of him.

"Mm?" Onodera looked at him tiredly. After a few seconds of his situation sinking in, he was reaching for the clothes he had been lent in a hurried panic. "S-sorry! I was still pretty tired, I guess! Hahaha…"

"I don't understand how you can pass out like that whenever I get you off. How do you even function as a guy?"

"That's none of your concern!" He pulled boxers and shorts back on and paused up at the lack of shirt again.

Before he could even ask again for a shirt, Takano couldn't help himself from a bit of teasing. "I'd say it's my concern when I have sex with you pretty much every few days at this point."

"That doesn't...ugh!" He grabbed a tuft of his own hair in frustration. "You're just taking advantage of the situation! If we weren't neighbors none of this would be happening!"

Takano's sighed and walked over to his wardrobe. He pulled out one of his seemingly endless supply of black t-shirts and tossed it onto the bed and sat down next to Onodera.

"Is it really so bad to be my neighbor?" At the sudden question, Onodera seemed to have briefly gotten lost in the shirt, arms getting tangled up.

"It's not like it's the worst thing ever, but I just feel like it leaves me with no time to myself." The words were muffled into the fabric, but got across regardless. "You come over whenever you want and force yourself if you have to. I'd come to you if I really wanted to...spend time together."

"Onodera, I can't take you seriously like this." He tugged the shirt down so that his head would pop out and his arms followed suit. "So do you want to spend time together with me sometimes?"

"I-I…" His face was aflame with blush, and he seemed to want to burrow his head right back into the shirt again. "...nn."

"It's a simple yes or no question, Ritsu. You can nod or shake your head if you have to."

Onodera only stiffened even more, hands balling up into fists on his lap. He opened his mouth and let out a shaky breath before finally mustering up a single word. "S-sometimes."

"Is there anything I can do to make that sometimes a little more frequent?" Takano was inching in again, and Onodera kept scooting away.

"Personal space for one thing." Takano leaned back, ceasing that looming danger look he would get at times. "Even in public sometimes you get a little too close or touchy. Especially kissing at work! What if somebody saw?"

"Then we explain to them that we're dating and if they spread rumors-"

"And another thing! We're not…" He caught the look on Takano's face and decided that maybe it would be a better idea to not finish that thought.

"We're not what? Why did you stop? By any chance has your opinion on our relationship status changed recently?" He began to draw in close again, and Onodera felt his heart jump.

" _No_ , it hasn't. We're…," His voice fell to a mumble. "cohabitating is all."

"That's how you see it, huh?" Takano gave him a peck on the cheek and stood up from the bed. He held out his hand to Onodera. "Come on, I'll show you how to iron clothes."

* * *

"Don't press down so hard you're going to- _God_ , Onodera-"

Onodera yanked back the iron in his hand from the dark grey shirt, a bit worried to see what was under it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's a dark shirt though, so hopefully it won't be too notica-" He blanched at the horribly burnt shape on the shirt. " _Oh my god_ , I'm so sorry! I'll buy you another shirt."

"No, no, I should've expected you had never touched an iron in your life. I should've given you a few more examples. Come on, there's 3 more of the exact same shirt." He threw the ruined shirt across the room and replaced it with a very similar one on the ironing board. He got behind Onodera and had his hand over the one holding the iron. "We can do it together."

"I'm not your girlfriend, you aren't a ghost, and this isn't pottery. I'd appreciate if you gave me a bit more space."

"I wouldn't do anything like that while you have an iron in your hand. I prefer to keep my skin unburnt." He looped his arms around Onodera's hips and rested his chin on his shoulder. "If you don't want my help I'll just watch."

"..." Onodera simply looked back to the task at hand, ignoring the arms wrapped around his waist.

Another few close calls later, they had a stack of only slightly wrinkled shirts. Takano had removed himself to focus on folding. That was clearly a job for him.

"...What about the pants?"

"Those were hard to find at the right length, so I think I'll handle that."

* * *

Despite having all clothes in his possession clean, Onodera ended up wearing some of Takano's tighter clothes to work the following day.

It didn't go unnoticed.

"Ricchan, your clothing choices have been a bit different lately." Kisa looked at the darker, somewhat baggy clothing. "Are you going for a fashion change or something?"

Takano, who had been leaning forward to look over a manuscript, peeked over the frame of his glasses to watch the exchange.

"Kisa-san, I don't know what you're talking about, haha." That awkward laugh added on at the end said otherwise.

Takano found himself considering helping Onodera out. But he couldn't help but want to know where this would go.

"Oh, I know! It almost looks like…" His voice fell to a whisper, but the blush that bloomed on Onodera's cheeks told him all he needed to know. Only he was allowed to tease the newbie like that.

"Would you two quit yammering on about clothes and get to work?"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

 **This was sitting on my Google Drive forever, sorry for not uploading sooner! Hopefully I'll be more motivated to write since I got a new laptop.**

 **Anyways, this was kinda fillerish, but to get to cuter things it can't be** _ **too**_ **fast.**


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